Uniden BCD325P2 Issues grabbing feed from Clinton County

[mrwiseguy35]

I ended up buying the listed scanner above. I used Proscan to program the scanner, but I did not get a good signal nor hear anything coming across the scanner. I tested this by using broadcastify. I use the settings that come from the frequencies listed on Radioreference.com. I did a little research and bought a new antenna for it, a Dimond RH77CA, to boost the signal strength, but this does not seem to be helping. I did not want professionals programming the scanner only because I would like to know how to fix something if something goes wrong. I'll attach the frequencies and counties I'm trying to scan. Also, squelch is set to 3, and volume is max.

Much help is appreciated.

 

[hexagon_keyhole]

OK, so if I am reading it right you are located in Clinton County, Iowa.

I do see that you are listening to a Clinton Law and Fire conventional, but there's a note that they might have moved over to Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System (ISICS) which you have programmed.

ISICS appears to be a Simulcast System and your BCD325P2 will potentially have issues with simulcasting reception. Perhaps someone in the Iowa Radio Discussion Forum can better help you out? Iowa Radio Discussion Forum | RadioReference.com Forums

 

[mrwiseguy35]

I bought the scanner listed above and mainly want to hear surrounding counties. I live in Clinton County, Lost Nation, and with this scanner, I cannot pick up any feed from Clinton. Even with the Dimond antenna RH77CA upgrade. I ended up programming the scanner using Proscan and still do not hear anything. I ended up adding Clinton, Jackson, and Jones counties as well. I only get the Maquoketa feed which I added. I hear the 325P2 struggles with the ISICS because of it being a simulcast system. So, would it be worth continuing to struggle with this scanner, or would the possible upgrade to the Uniden BCD436HP be the best bet for the counties I want to hear?
I attached what I gathered in frequencies from here using Proscan.

 

[RaleighGuy]

The 436 might help a little, note I said might, but if it is a simulcast system the only scanner that is designed to receive the traffic is the SDS100/200 scanners. Other options include a SDR or Unication Pager (G4 or G5). If you are updating you really need to get the SDS scanner.

 

[mrwiseguy35]

I’ll look into the SDS100 scanner. Definitely want something that will work with Clinton County. Thank you for the feedback. As far as I know though, Jones and Jackson counties are mostly still conventional as far as I am aware. So I don’t know entirely why I am not picking that up at all. Maquoketa is part of the stimulcast system but comes through just fine.

The 436 might help a little, note I said might, but if it is a simulcast system the only scanner that is designed to receive the traffic is the SDS100/200 scanners. Other options include a SDR or Unication Pager (G4 or G5). If you are updating you really need to get the SDS scanner.

 

[WB0VHB]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe ISICS is considered simulcast. Traffic on a talk group will be transmitted on all towers in a region at the same time, but the frequency on each tower is different than it's neighbor.

ISICS because of it being a simulcast system. So, would it be worth continuing to struggle with this scanner, or would the possible upgrade to the Uniden BCD436HP be the best bet for the counties I want to hear?
I attached what I gathered in frequencies from here using Proscan.

 

[wtp]

1 (1)	054 (36)	Dewitt	Clinton, IA	769.20625	769.45625c	769.95625c	770.45625c
1 (1)	122 (7A)	Clinton	Clinton, IA	770.18125c	770.43125	770.68125	774.84375c
2 (2)	023 (17)	Clinton	Clinton, IA	854.3875c	856.0375c	857.0375	858.0375c

which one ?

1 (1)	046 (2E)	Sabula	Jackson, IA	773.03125	773.53125c	773.78125c	774.28125c
1 (1)	062 (3E)	Maquoketa	Jackson, IA	769.15625	769.40625c	770.15625c	770.40625c
1 (1)	096 (60)	Zwingle	Jackson, IA	773.05625	773.30625c	773.55625c	773.80625c

 

[hiegtx]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe ISICS is considered simulcast. Traffic on a talk group will be transmitted on all towers in a region at the same time, but the frequency on each tower is different than it's neighbor.

Some of the ISICS sites are simulcast, including the Des Moines area in Polk County, and several others.

However, for the counties that the OP is interested in,it does not appear that Clinton is simulcast, and the other two counties (Jackson & Jones) are showing as conventional, not on a trunked system. There are ISICS sites in those counties, but no one has submitted any talkgroups on ISICS for those counties & their various cities & towns. I would note that the sites in those counties, as well as two of the three sites in Clinton County, use the statewide license for 700MHz channels, so no way to verify specific tower locations, nor to ensure that 'not simulcast' is correct.

I bought the scanner listed above and mainly want to hear surrounding counties. I live in Clinton County, Lost Nation, and with this scanner, I cannot pick up any feed from Clinton. Even with the Dimond antenna RH77CA upgrade. I ended up programming the scanner using Proscan and still do not hear anything. I ended up adding Clinton, Jackson, and Jones counties as well. I only get the Maquoketa feed which I added. I hear the 325P2 struggles with the ISICS because of it being a simulcast system. So, would it be worth continuing to struggle with this scanner, or would the possible upgrade to the Uniden BCD436HP be the best bet for the counties I want to hear?
I attached what I gathered in frequencies from here using Proscan.

There are three ISICS sites listed for Clinton County, The one that uses 800MHz frequencies is a single site, not simulcast. I suspect that the other two sites are not simulcast either, but since they use 700MHz frequencies based on the states license, there is no way to verify that.

The Diamond RH77A is a good antenna, but it is focused more on the Vhf & Uhf bands. While it's certainly not deaf on 700 & 800MHz frequencies, it's not the best antenna for those frequencies.

Have you tried, when time permits, taking your 325P2 into one or both of the adjacent counties, to see how it performs there? If you are only using at home, and if your house has metal siding, or foil backed insulation in the walls, either of those will hinder your reception, especially for more distant transmissions.

I took a quick look at the ProScan file you attached. I did not see anything out of the ordinary or incorrect. Of course, someone in your county, or one of the neighboring ones, would have more insight that I would from quite a distance away.

 

[xmo]

Start with basics. Program the system frequencies in as conventional channels and monitor each for the presence of control channel or voice channel modulation.

If you don't hear anything, you have the wrong frequencies or there is something wrong with your scanner or installation.

 

[mrwiseguy35]

Some of the ISICS sites are simulcast, including the Des Moines area in Polk County, and several others.

However, for the counties that the OP is interested in,it does not appear that Clinton is simulcast, and the other two counties (Jackson & Jones) are showing as conventional, not on a trunked system. There are ISICS sites in those counties, but no one has submitted any talkgroups on ISICS for those counties & their various cities & towns. I would note that the sites in those counties, as well as two of the three sites in Clinton County, use the statewide license for 700MHz channels, so no way to verify specific tower locations, nor to ensure that 'not simulcast' is correct.


There are three ISICS sites listed for Clinton County, The one that uses 800MHz frequencies is a single site, not simulcast. I suspect that the other two sites are not simulcast either, but since they use 700MHz frequencies based on the states license, there is no way to verify that.

The Diamond RH77A is a good antenna, but it is focused more on the Vhf & Uhf bands. While it's certainly not deaf on 700 & 800MHz frequencies, it's not the best antenna for those frequencies.

Have you tried, when time permits, taking your 325P2 into one or both of the adjacent counties, to see how it performs there? If you are only using at home, and if your house has metal siding, or foil backed insulation in the walls, either of those will hinder your reception, especially for more distant transmissions.

I took a quick look at the ProScan file you attached. I did not see anything out of the ordinary or incorrect. Of course, someone in your county, or one of the neighboring ones, would have more insight that I would from quite a distance away.

I ended up receiving help from someone that scans Clinton county and gave me frequencies to connect to the Dewitt tower to retrieve Clinton. I ended up getting that to work. Now I am having issues with conventional connections and frequencies. I am trying to grab Jackson County, but I get no signal bars and the display just says scan going across the screen. I believe I am doing something wrong, not 100%. I've been using radioreference for all frequencies, and no luck. I ended up grabbing Maquoketa on the P25S, but not jackson county entirely.

 

[MCWKen]

ISICS in the Clinton County area is not simulcast. The radios in Clinton County are usually affiliated with one site or another; DeWitt, Clinton, Maquoketa, Sabula, and sometimes Muscatine.

The 700mhz Clinton tower is no longer active.

I normally monitor Muscatine/Scott site on OP25, and many times I do not get any of the Clinton County TG's. The exception is Clinton County Fire. I keep the City PD blacklisted so unless I look at the log, I am not sure if any of their radios ever affiliate with Muscatine. I have occasionally listened to the Clinton 800 mhz site, and that usually has all the traffic in the county. However, from what I have tracked in the county, Lost Nation was on the fringe of that tower.

As far as I have seen, the conventional VHF frequencies are dormant in the County.

Just my observations.

Ken

 

[mrwiseguy35]

ISICS in the Clinton County area is not simulcast. The radios in Clinton County are usually affiliated with one site or another; DeWitt, Clinton, Maquoketa, Sabula, and sometimes Muscatine.

The 700mhz Clinton tower is no longer active.

I normally monitor Muscatine/Scott site on OP25, and many times I do not get any of the Clinton County TG's. The exception is Clinton County Fire. I keep the City PD blacklisted so unless I look at the log, I am not sure if any of their radios ever affiliate with Muscatine. I have occasionally listened to the Clinton 800 mhz site, and that usually has all the traffic in the county. However, from what I have tracked in the county, Lost Nation was on the fringe of that tower.

As far as I have seen, the conventional VHF frequencies are dormant in the County.

Just my observations.

Ken

You’re absolutely spot on. I ended up getting help from someone and had to change the site to connect to the Dewitt towers and pick up everything in Clinton now.